See a Man

By Cliff Lake

 

See a Man

 

See the empty man:

Full of himself,

Devoid of content.

All is surface and shine,

And what depth may be,

Is replete with hunger,

And a lust for

What has yet to be attained.

 

See the clutching man:

No denial of self,

For the self is all,

And central,

And is ever starved,

And ever fed,

And never slaked.

All in pursuit of bitter gain,

Lost finally in internment’s dark embrace.

 

See the wanting man:

Who wants for nothing,

Wanting everything,

Wanting more,

Wanting adulation,

Wanting recompense,

For those things undeserved,

And of little use.

 

See the dying man:

Clutching at cold comfort,

Inanimate pieces gathering dust,

Plastic and packed away,

Possessing him,

As he counts them again,

In support of his worth,

Before the last breath escapes him,

And he too is packed away

With whatever

May fit into a six-foot box,

And that no one wants any longer.

So it goes…

 

Cliff Lake 8/24/2024

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2024

Location: 1100 S Ocean Blvd, Palm Beach, FL 33480, USA

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